The Church Oak, outside Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in New Braunfels, is said to be where the first German missionaries set up in an Indian village. The Comanches spared the life of the missionary at the request of the chief's daughter, according to legend. The Church Oak is among the trees included in "Living Witness: Historic Trees of Texas" by Ralph Yznaga.

Photo By Ralph Yznaga

The Burnt Oak, near the 13th hole tee box at Pecan Valley Golf Course in San Antonio, is believed to be a camp site for Stephen F. Austin and Texian troops as they moved toward San Antonio from Gonzales after the first battle of the Texas Revolution. The tree is included in Ralph Yznaga's book, "Living Witness: Historic Trees of Texas."

Photo By Ralph Yznaga

The first Polish settlers in the United States held Christmas Eve Mass under the oaks that now stand beside Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Panna Maria in Karnes County, Texas. The trees are included in "Living Witness: Historic Trees of Texas" by Ralph Yznaga.

Photo By Ralph Yznaga

Columbus Oak

Photo By Ralph Yznaga

Ben Milam Cypress

Spending 20 years in the concrete jungle of New York and 50 cents at an Austin garage sale paid off for Ralph Yznaga and connected the San Antonio native to deep Texas roots.

When Yznaga, a University of Texas graduate who works in advertising, returned to Austin after two decades in New York, he happened on a copy of "Famous Texas Trees."

He pored over the half-dollar purchase for a couple of years before setting out on weekend trips about five years ago to visit each of the trees the Texas Forest Service had singled out in the 1969 book.

"I had lived away for so long. This was a journey to reconnect with the state," Yznaga said. He discovered out-of-the-way places such as Panna Maria, the country's oldest Polish settlement; encountered interesting people; and learned a wealth of legends.

He hopes others will make similar discoveries with the book he compiled, "Living Witness: Historic Trees of Texas" (Texas A&M University Press, 164 pp., $29.95). The book includes photographs Yznaga made with his 1957 Roliflex camera and stories of more than 30 trees that have seen settlers, soldiers and the passage of time.

Among the legendary trees in the book are the 1,000-year-old Goose Island Oak, also known as the "Big Tree"; the Ben Milam Cypress on the San Antonio River Walk; and the Panna Maria Oaks.

"The trees are beautiful, but it's the stories that make them interesting to us," Yznaga said. "That's what prompted me to go out and make this book a reality."

The book includes driving directions to each of the trees, as does a free iPhone app. Through the app and his website, livingwitness.net, Yznaga encourages other enthusiasts to share stories of their favorite trees. They might be included in the sequel.